photo by synaptic happenings The winter months can drag on. Holidays and utilities increase your expenses. Add that it’s cold and flu season, and it’s not uncommon to get the winter blahs. Before you go stircrazy for spring, prepare yourself with a few blah-busting tips. What frugal activities do you do during winter months? Here [...]
photo by Lisa Sanderson Spending the holidays without family can be lonely. Festivities tend to focus on families being together. Maybe you’re alone for the holidays or are divorced and divide time with your ex-spouse. If you know you’ll be alone or with just your spouse and no other family, start planning now. If you’ve [...]
This contest is now closed. Black & Decker has generously sponsored this Energy Saver Series contest giveaway.
Danny Kofke has sponsored a copy of his book titled How To Survive (and perhaps thrive) On A Teacher’s Salary for this contest giveaway. This contest is now closed.
photo by chispita666 Cooking a one-dish meal is the perfect way to escape the kitchen quickly. Clean up is a snap. The following recipes are made from simple ingredients. And with little prep work, you can fix it and forget it. They’ll make excellent leftovers, too. Pizza Casserole 2 cups spiral noodles 1 pound ground [...]
photo by austinevan Whether it’s diluting dish soap to get the last drops or using free samples, use up items you have on hand before purchasing something new. This is a way of life in our household. I’m happy to share a few reader-submitted tips for using what you already have or are doing without. [...]
photo by dbgg1979 Chicken Adobo is one of my favorite ways to make chicken. It’s tender, sweet and savory and a great way to use those cheaper dark cuts of chicken, but you can also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Leftovers are wonderful used as tangy chicken-salad sandwiches by just chopping them up and mixing [...]
photo by foldsomething DEAR SARA: Is there an online fund-type account for a baby shower? I am a single woman who is adopting, and I’ve been using Freecycle like crazy, so I have a lot of stuff such as a crib, changing table, bouncer, diaper genie, swing, highchair, tub, etc. I do plan to register [...]
photo by goldberg Pants hangers have multiple uses in your home. You can use them to clip a printed recipe to keep it off the kitchen counter when preparing it. Simply hang it from the cabinet handle. Or use them to display children’s artwork. The first tip shares a few additional ways to use pant [...]
photo by cherryfluff As a society, we’re fortunate — so much so that we’ve become gluttonous. Wants and needs have become blurred. We’ve become conditioned to believe we need many things. Some people might even think chocolate is a food group. But in all seriousness, we’ve forgotten that we live in the land of options. [...]
photo by Le petit poulailler With the holidays approaching, there are a lot of people carrying cash and valuables when out shopping. Often, people are dressed up, in a hurry and not paying attention. This offers increased opportunities for thieves, so it’s important to take some precautions. If someone is determined to take your purse [...]
photo by Arlette Cooking existed long before boxed and canned convenience goods. While some prepackaged products provide tasty shortcuts, it’s good to know how to make things yourself. You want your family to enjoy more than just add-water, heat-and-eat meals. Many from-scratch recipes are simple and don’t take a long time to make. In a [...]
If your signature dish is spaghetti with jarred sauce, it’s time to expand your cooking repertoire to include lasagna, chili, stew, gravy, salad dressing, pancakes, waffles, bread, chocolate chip cookies, biscuits and muffins. What recipes do you think any beginner cook should master? Here are a few more suggestions. FLUFFY RICE: Use the index-finger method [...]
photo by jspatchwork Muffins are perfect for every season. They freeze well, and they whip together in minutes, so you can enjoy the old-fashioned Muffin Man goodness whenever the craving hits. They’re scrumptious plain but are amazing with spreads, compound butters, jams and jellies.
photo by Lin Pernille DEAR SARA: What books on frugality do you recommend? — Danielle, New Jersey DEAR DANIELLE: I’ve enjoyed “More with Less Cookbook” by Doris Janzen Longacre (Herald Press, 2003) because it contains practical recipes with ingredients the average person has on hand. The recipes are tried-and-true and aren’t complicated. I’m certain you’ll [...]
The largest size of a product isn’t always the best buy. Compare unit prices. To figure the unit price, divide the price by the number of units. Which costs less per unit? Foods that cost less per unit are not always the better buy. The biggest size is not a good buy if you can’t [...]
